China praises India's help for quake victims

BEIJING: China appreciated India's support and assistance for relief efforts in its earthquake devastated areas as New Delhi sent another batch of supplies as part of its first ever major humanitarian help to its giant neighbour.
      
Beijing's words of appreciation were conveyed to India's Ambassador Nirupama Rao by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi during her visit to the Foreign Office to write in the condolence book opened for foreign diplomats on Monday as the country began a three-day national mourning in memory of the earthquake victims.
      
Yang noted that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had personally conveyed the sympathy and condolences of the people and government of India during the meeting of Foreign Ministers of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) at the Russian city Yekaterinberg last week, Indian embassy officials said.
      
Rao conveyed to Yang grief and sympathy over the loss of lives in the quake, they said.
     
"We feel deep sorrow and we have deep solidarity with the Chinese people as a good neighbour of China," Rao said. "We also experienced such catastrophes and we admire the calmness, determination and resolve of the Chinese people to deal with the tragedy," official Xinhua quoted her as saying.
      
She said India and its people were ready to assist and support China in "whatever way it may need".
     
The second consignment of emergency supplies was delivered at Chengdu, the provincial capital of quake-struck Sichuan province.
     
India provided the first consignment of supplies to China on Saturday as part of the USD 5 million assistance it announced after the Monday's temblor that left 32,500 dead and lakhs of people homeless.